Exploration of Bioengineered Scaffolds Composed of Thermo-Responsive Polymers for Drug Delivery in Wound Healing

Abstract

Innate and adaptive immune responses lead to wound healing by regulating a complex series of events promoting cellular cross-talk. An inflammatory response is presented with its characteristic clinical symptoms: heat, pain, redness, and swelling. Some smart thermo-responsive polymers like chitosan, polyvinylpyrrolidone, alginate, and poly(ε-caprolactone) can be used to create biocompatible and biodegradable scaffolds. These processed thermo-responsive biomaterials possess 3D architectures similar to human structures, providing physical support for cell growth and tissue regeneration. Furthermore, these structures are used as novel drug delivery systems. Locally heated tumors above the polymer lower the critical solution temperature and can induce its conversion into a hydrophobic form by an entropy-driven process, enhancing drug release. When the thermal stimulus is gone, drug release is reduced due to the swelling of the material. As a result, these systems can contribute to the wound healing process in accelerating tissue healing, avoiding large scar tissue, regulating the inflammatory response, and protecting from bacterial infections. This paper integrates the relevant reported contributions of bioengineered scaffolds composed of smart thermo-responsive polymers for drug delivery applications in wound healing. Therefore, we present a comprehensive review that aims to demonstrate these systems’ capacity to provide spatially and temporally controlled release strategies for one or more drugs used in wound healing. In this sense, the novel manufacturing techniques of 3D printing and electrospinning are explored for the tuning of their physicochemical properties to adjust therapies according to patient convenience and reduce drug toxicity and side effects.

Self-Responsive Electrospun Nanofibers Wound Dressings: The Future of Wound Care

“…ermo-sensitive drug delivery systems, which are typically based on temperature-responsive polymers such as poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) or poly(N-vinyl caprolactam) [23], have exceptional characteristics that can be used in the development of scaffolds. ey have unique solid-gel transition properties above a certain temperature, some of which are close to physiological human body temperature, 37 °C [47].…”

Drug Delivery Applications of Coaxial Electrospun Nanofibres in Cancer Therapy

“…While ciprofloxacin was released rapidly due to the pH-sensitive structure, the release time of DOX was extended based on the core-sheath structure, which fits clinical needs [51]. The volume phase transition of thermoresponsive polymers at the critical solution temperature makes their physical properties change under different body temperatures, and it is therefore used to control the inner drug discharge rate [52]. Li et al created a nanogel-in-microfibre device composed of core/shell-structured polymer ultrathin fibres with a controlled drug release system related to external temperature changes.…”

Chitosan-Based Thermo-Responsive Scaffold for Wound Heal-ing Provides Dexketoprofen Trometamol Controlled Release for 24 Hour-Use

“…Since F3 provided the best performance, 6 more units were employed for further studies at 38 °C to simulate the local hyperthermia conditions caused by the typical inflammatory process presented in wound healing [36]. It is well known that thermo-responsive polymers like chitosan, experience a reversible transition under an entropy-driven process, from a hydrophilic to a hydrophobic state upon a rise in the temperature above the LCST [37,38]. The interruption in polymer-water hydrogen bonding and the increase in hydrophobic interactions within the polymer chains caused the collapse of the structure and the consequent greater burst release compared to the analyzed units of the same formula at 32 °C (1h: 28.74 ± 2.06 %, 6h: 61.05 ± 2.59 %) (Fig.…”